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Randy Sportak, QMI Agency

Craig Conroy’s first guess at the last time he didn’t work out like mad all summer for the coming season was 17 years ago.

Then he reconsidered.

“Actually, it has to be longer than that,” Conroy said. “I’d say 23 years — since before I went to university.”

Life as a retired player means big changes, and Conroy — now the Calgary Flames special assistant to the GM — went through one of those in the last few months.

The former Flames captain, who retired in the middle of the 2010-11 season, had the first summer of his adult life without the focus of a coming campaign.

The fan favourite, who celebrated his 40th birthday a week ago, didn’t have to go through those intense off-ice sessions and summertime skating sessions.

“It’s so weird,” Conroy said. “I still worked out and tried to do my stuff, but to know I’m not going to be doing the testing was different.”

Actually, Conroy still looks as fit as ever.

Almost well enough you’d figure he could go through the pre-training camp testing one more time.

“I think I’m going to miss it. It was always hard at the end of the year, but now you want to do it,” Conroy said. “Now, when I see all the guys on the ice, it’ll be hard.

“But I’ve got a great new opportunity, a great new job, so I’m moving forward now.”

During his 16-season NHL career, Conroy collected 182 goals and 360 assists in 1,009 regular-season games with the Montreal Canadiens, the St. Louis Blues, the Los Angeles Kings and the Flames. He played more than half those games with the Flames.

Another benefit from not having to go through the gruelling off-season training regimen is extra time.

That meant he was able to do more in the summer with his daughters Taylor, Sophia and Sydney.

“They liked that I was around more,” Conroy said. “I was there all the time — not going skating and working out.